Fundraising campaign launched to rebuild the Fontainebleau Forest

Fontainebleau – 18 July 2026: A national fundraising campaign has been launched to rebuild the Fontainebleau Forest, which was severely damaged by fires. The Fondation du patrimoine is collecting funds together with the Office national des forêts, the city of Fontainebleau, the Seine-et-Marne Department and the Île-de-France Region for securing, restoring and later reforesting the affected areas.

According to the Île-de-France Region, more than 2,000 hectares of the forest massif were destroyed. This corresponds to nearly ten percent of the area. The fires began on 12 July. The two fire zones are now under control, but have not yet been fully extinguished. Emergency services and security authorities therefore remain deployed in the damaged and partly closed areas.

The initial fundraising target for the special campaign is two million euros. The funds are not intended solely for new planting. They will also support immediate measures to protect damaged areas, the monitoring of natural regeneration, and measures to restore and protect biodiversity. Decisions on which areas will actually be replanted are to be made in consultation with experts from the Office national des forêts.

The project partners intend to select tree species and forest structures for the restoration that are better able to cope with drought, fire risk and other consequences of climate change. This makes reconstruction a long-term task. According to the Region, the recovery of such an ecosystem can take years or even decades, as not only trees but also soils, habitats and protective functions are affected.

The Fontainebleau Forest has particular ecological and cultural significance. It includes protected areas within the Natura 2000 network, a UNESCO biosphere reserve and biological reserves. The Fondation du patrimoine notes that particularly species-rich areas have also been affected by the fire. Several bird species and rare plant populations were endangered by the flames, according to the information provided.

President Emmanuel Macron visited Fontainebleau on 16 July to assess the situation and announced the joint fundraising initiative. According to the Gendarmerie, around 800 firefighters and approximately 100 gendarmes were deployed. The judiciary is continuing to investigate the causes of the fires. The Fontainebleau public prosecutor’s office assigned the Paris Gendarmerie investigative division and the Fontainebleau brigade to conduct the inquiry.

The fundraising campaign is aimed at private individuals, businesses, associations and municipalities. The Seine-et-Marne Department is also contributing financially, according to its own statement. The organisers stress that restoring the forest should not be understood as a short-term reforestation project. The goal is a more resilient forest area that can permanently regain its role as a natural space, recreational area and habitat for numerous species.